


awkwardly, hi, hello

by wvvjin



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Felix is Mentioned, I lOVE MY PARENTS, Insomniac Bang Chan, M/M, and the others tagged is just a small character, changbin is his roommate, he's a tired college student, i love woochan, i still dont know how to tag properly, im sorry, tagged teen up just bcs of the cuss words, we dont deserve him, woojin helps chan, woojin is a kind soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 16:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17791079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wvvjin/pseuds/wvvjin
Summary: "you know what's beautiful?""me?"





	awkwardly, hi, hello

woojin has been standing in his station for at least 3 hours now, tending to the nice grandmas buying some groceries and little kids paying for chocolates and also the cranky customers who’d get mad when their favorite beer is out of stock, even though that is in no way woojin’s fault. he really deserves to at least be able to sit down now for a second. but there’s a few more customers in the store despite the fact that it’s closing in 5 minutes, and woojin likes to think that one good rest is very well deserved after he finishes his shift. a woman picks up a can of beans but after a full 30 seconds of staring at it, decides against it and walks to the counter. woojin scans her stuffs with the scanner in his hand and scans the rest of the shop with his eyes. another customer walks to minho’s counter next to him. there’s only one more male browsing through the cereal section.

 

woojin feels a little too excited about finishing his shift and going to bed.

 

the last customer comes up to him and places a basket of 2 family-size cereal boxes, two 2 liters of milk, seven energy drinks and a few more junk foods that woojin finds too relatable. __must’ve been a college student too,__ woojin thinks, taking in his appearance with eyes that seem to have sunk into his head and prominent cheekbones. woojin snaps out of his moment when the male makes eye contact with him for a brief second, and he quickly scans the groceries in front of him. he ignores the blush that crept up his neck and cheeks, wondering why he even gets them in the first place.

 

“the total comes up to 42, 000 won. will this be cash or card?” woojin says as he bags all the stuff into separate reusable shopping bags the man had place on the counter earlier.

 

“uhh, card,” he fumbles with the card in his wallet before handing it over to woojin. the latter accepts it with both hands and swipes it across the machine once. a low pitch sound is heard echoing through the now almost empty store. even minho had gone back into the back room for workers. the blinking red light stares at woojin right in his dead eyes. woojin frowns. he swipes the card once again. the blinking red light is still there. he clears his throat.

 

“i’m sorry but there seem to be a problem with your card. do you have another one or would you like to pay with cash?” he hands out the card back to the man as panic seems to make itself visible on the latter’s face.

 

“uh, can you- can you try again, please?”

 

woojin promptly swipes the card once again through the slot and the red light makes it appearance again as woojin hands back the card.

 

“sorry man, your card has been declined.”

 

the man curses under his breath and sighs loudly. “i’m so sorry. uhh, can i - i’m gonna call a friend to come here and help me with this so can you just, uhh, wait for a few minutes? i’m very sorry, i promise he’ll be quick.”

 

woojin glances at the clock that strikes midnight a few minutes ago and returns his gaze towards the man who is already making a call. woojin is tired and he wants to go home now.

 

“hey!” __that came out very rude and harsh and loud how the fuck kim woojin it’s supposed to be a simple hey.__

__

the man swivels on his heels, startled as he clutches his phone tightly in his hand.

 

“oh, i’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. uhh, so, like it’s already past midnight and i’m exhausted and i just wanna go home so if you can just let me pay for your stuff-”

 

“no!” it’s woojin’s turn to be surprised. the man winces at his own voice and clears his throat. “i mean, no. thank you for your offer but i can’t take it, i’m sorry. my friend will be here soon, __if he actually picks up his phone, seo changbin, you idiot-__ ”

 

the last part is mostly mumbled to himself but woojin hears him fine anyway. he would have chuckled if he isn’t too dead inside, instead he smiles softly towards the man who is still trying to reach his friend.

 

“hey, it’s totally fine. hey, listen to me for a second, it’s okay. i’ll just pay for these and you can just pay me later, okay? you can just come find me here, i work on saturdays so just find me anytime, yeah?”

 

the man looks totally dejected and fatigued that woojin wants to actually step around the counter and give him a hug. he continues to bag the groceries instead, placing them into two separate bags and swiping his own card after he is done. handing him the receipt, woojin smiles as the man looks at him like he puts stars in his sky (or food on his table).

 

“thank you so much, i’m so sorry for troubling you like this-”

 

“hey, it’s fine. it’s your day today, and i just really want to go home,” woojin chuckles softly. he notices the man’s ears are getting red by the second as he sheepishly take the bags on the counter.

 

“i’ll pay you back as soon as i can, i promise.”

 

“that’s fine. be safe on your way home.”

 

the man bows a little as he heads outside and disappears into the night. woojin sighs loudly and runs his hand through his hair. __thank god tomorrow’s sunday.__

 

\--

 

chan is beyond embarrassed. he doesn’t think he’ll be able to live after this and not to mention that he needs to see that man again to pay him back __oh my god__ -

 

a loud ring interrupts his train of thoughts and startles him. he fishes out his phone and sees changbin’s name on the screen and he just throws his phone into the grocery bag with a huff. he will punch that man across his face when he gets home.

 

chan slows down his pace when he realises he’s out of breath. he really needs to start exercising again. these past few weeks he’s been so busy with school and assignments and work that he hasn’t gotten any time left to go to the gym. even changbin stops going there and has just been doing simple exercises in their shared apartment. if chan isn’t too busy burying his face in his laptop composing songs he would’ve join the younger male.

 

his thoughts drifts back to the cashier that helped him earlier. his face looks familiar, but not the one that chan could easily spot in a crowd. familiar as in he’s seen him before, maybe brushed against his shoulder in the library, or passed by him in the cafeteria. chan is not one to remember faces so quickly, but the nameless cashier’s face has been imprinted in his mind since he stepped into the store. chan wants to forget that face to make room for more useless thoughts but he simply can’t. the voices in his head keep reminding him of the cashier, and chan thinks that once he pays the money back, they’ll stop. they will stop.

 

soon, the run-down apartment building comes into view, and chan jogs a little to reach his home as soon as he can. it’s getting colder at night, and chan absent-mindedly went out in just a hoodie earlier. he mentally slaps himself when he sees that he’d taken a wrong key before going out and now he’s stuck outside his own house. he grabs his phone from inside the grocery bag to call changbin.

 

“let me in,” chan says right after changbin picks up the call.

 

“so now you’re talking to me-”

 

“just let me in,” chan hisses, rolling his eyes before hanging up. he’s about to knock loudly on the door when changbin flings open the door clad in just a towel around his waist. chan stares down at him and rushes in past the younger man while mumbling about how changbin is too busy fucking felix to even answer his phone.

 

“okay, first of all, felix went home like an hour ago. you were here when he left. and second of all, i was taking a shower you fuck-”

 

“why are you taking a shower in the middle of the night when it’s freezing outside?” chan puts the bags on their kitchen counter and looks at changbin confusedly. he takes out all the groceries and starts to arrange them in the cabinet.

 

“there’s this thing called water heater, hyung. why did you call anyway? and why didn’t you pick up when i called earlier, i was almost worried.”

 

chan shoots a glare towards the younger and changbin almost recoiled, hands dropping the apple he’s currently eating. chan sighs and turns around to face him, hands on the waist. changbin prepares for a nag to come.

 

“so, my card got declined. and i called to ask you to come pay for the stuffs but you won’t pick up and now i owe the cashier because he helped me pay and he’s cute as hell and now i don’t think i can face him, shit i don’t even know where to put my face and i have to pay him back and you’re gonna help me pay him back because most of these belongs to you,” chan explains in a single breath and he exhales loudly when he’s done.

 

“well, do you get his name?”

 

realisation dawns upon chan’s face but he’s too stubborn to let changbin see that so he busies himself lining their fridge with energy drinks. “no, but i know he works there on saturdays so i can just find him there next time.”

 

“what if he’s not there?”

 

“i’ll just go again every saturday until i see him.”

 

“you’re so whipped, hyung.”

 

“i’m just trying to pay him his money back, shut up.”

 

\--

 

two weeks passes, and chan hasn’t actually gone back to the store. he’s just so damn busy completing his projects and assignments, he doesn’t even have time to eat properly, save from the time changbin shoves some food into his face while he’s trying not to fall asleep on his desk again. the silence surrounding the place is almost deafening to him as he sits in one of the bigger tables, music sheets scattered on the table and a bright light illuminating his face coming from his laptop. a lot of students have come and go for the whole time he’s been there, so he figures it must’ve been a little past lunch. his eyes are hurting, and his ears are numb from hearing the same tune for the past 24 hours.

 

chan stretches, arms going above his head, his shirt riding up and showing a glint of abs underneath. he shivers from the sudden cold touching his previously covered skin. a student walks by and takes up the spot at the table opposite his, sitting down at the seat that faces him. chan stares at him. __he looks vaguely familiar.__

__

chan continues staring at the student, taking in his dark brown hair that falls just above his eyes, his thick eyebrows and a strong jawline. he seems to be focused in taking out his notes and laptop, placing them in front of him neatly. chan scoffs. unlike himself who has notes everywhere on the table meant for six people. he’s pretty sure no one wants to sit with him, considering he takes up the whole table for himself. the student turns on his laptop, accidentally making eye contact with a flustered chan. a hint of recognition flashes in their eyes.

 

“hey, it’s you!’ chan exclaims out loud, the student winces as a few students nearby shushes him. he ducks in embarrassment. he makes his way to the table in front of him, asking silently if he can sit and then taking his seat when he gets the permission.

 

chan is sure the not-stranger is trying not to laugh at him right now, but he’s cute like that, face scrunched up with lips in between his teeth, so chan forgives him.

 

“hi,” the student breathes, smiling after taking a few moments to calm himself down. chan blushes for no reason, he’s so mad at himself. he blames it for the lack of sleep.

 

“hey, sorry for the sudden outburst.”

 

“it’s fine. are you okay?” leave it to the handsome stranger to be nice and kind to him.

 

“yeah, yeah i’m fine. i, uhh, you’re the cashier that night, right? at the convenience store next to our campus?” chan tries, but he’s sure as hell it’s the same person. he recognises the smile. a smile that shoots arrows into his heart. a smile that knocks him off his feet. __a smile he learns to love already even though it’s the second time he’s seeing it__.

 

“yup, that’s me. sorry, i didn’t catch your name that night,” he smiles again, apologetically with soft eyes.

 

“oh, it’s chan. and, uhh, you?”

 

“i’m woojin.” __a beautiful name for a beautiful face.__

 

“woojin,” chan repeats, liking how the name sounds on his lips.

 

“yes. so, you’re a student here? no wonder you looked familiar that night.” woojin decides to close his laptop, choosing to focus on the man in front of him. chan is suddenly very self-conscious about himself, clearing his throat and running his hand through his hair once. twice. he still looks messy and incredibly tired compared to woojin.

 

“yeah. i’m in the arts department, what about you?”

 

“engineering. no wonder i don’t know you. we’ve probably never come across each other’s path, huh?” woojin says, chuckling softly.

 

"yeah. except for that night. i don't know what i'd do if you didn't help me, honestly." chan's voice is soft in a whisper, thankful and sincere. woojin shrugs it off.

 

"don't mention it. it's the least i could do. i was exhausted and i just wanna get it over with and go home," he stifles a laugh behind his hand and chan is positive he wants to at least befriend this man.

 

"obviously. it was very late too. oh," chan reaches for his wallet in his back pocket and retrieves a 50, 000 won note from it. he slides the note across the table, stopping just before woojin's own hand. the latter stares at it before directing his confused gaze towards chan. "here. sorry it took me 2 weeks to pay you back. i was just extremely busy."

 

woojin nods, taking the note chan left next to his hand. he quickly takes out his own wallet from his bag, frowning when he sees the content of it, or lack thereof. his eyes dart back and forth between chan who has been staring at him, and the inside of his old, black wallet.

 

“uhh, i don’t have any change.” woojin’s voice trails off a little softer at the end. he can feel blood rushing to his face and he’s sure chan can see him blushing under the bright light of the library. he ruffles his hair and laughs awkwardly, missing the way chan offers a small smile at him.

 

“it’s fine. consider it a gift, because i was two weeks late.”

 

“oh no, i can’t do that,” woojin says, brows creasing and already extending his hand towards chan to give him the money back. the latter grabs his hand midway, gently clasping it around the other’s. chan tries to ignore how soft woojin’s hand is, slightly wondering what hand lotion he uses.

 

“no, no, just take it, please. you’ve helped me, i’m just returning the favor.”

 

woojin’s eyes softened as he thanks chan over and over again. he appreciates the gesture, especially now that it’s in the middle of the month, and his pay for last week stil hasn’t come in. to be perfectly honest, woojin has actually forgotten about the customer who looks half dead but can still look beautiful with his blond hair and dark circles under his eyes. he’s forgotten about their encounter but he doesn’t forget about the man himself.

 

__how can he forget such beauty?_ _

 

“actually, can you do me one last favor?” chan sheepishly asks, eyes glinting in hope as he grins at woojin. woojin nods.

 

“i haven’t sleep in probably a few days and i feel so tired and sleepy right now. if you don’t mind, can you keep an eye on my stuffs on the table back there while i get a nap? just for 10 minutes.” woojin can’t say no, especially when chan looks like he can pass out any moment now.

 

“uh, do you have to be anywhere after this?”

 

“no. why?”

 

“nothing, just asking.” woojin smiles. chan giggles softly, making himself more comfortable on the chair he’s seating on. he buries his face on his folded arms on the table and woojin thinks it takes the younger 30 seconds to hear his soft snores.

 

woojin laughs quietly, taking off the bomber jacket he’s wearing. he doesn’t know how chan can sit in here all day with just wearing a thin, albeit long-sleeved shirt. woojin’s been in here for 5 minutes and he’s already freezing. the younger man sleeping in front of him shivers a bit, and woojin takes the initiative to cover his back with his jacket. he gently drapes the piece of clothing on chan, being careful not to wake him up. he then proceeds to the table chan previously had been studying on, putting his laptop on sleep, gathering his study notes and bringing them to his table. it’s easier to look after his belongings when they’re in front of him, without him having to look over chan’s fluffy hair and broad shoulders.

 

he turns on his own laptop, determined on getting his work done now that everything has been cleared up. while searching for the folder that holds his assignments, someone stops next to him and before he can react, something is dropped on his head. he almost reacts violently but stops himself when he hears the familiar chuckle.

 

“hyung, who’s this?” woojin wants to slap minho on the back of his head to instill some sort of common sense into him. his loud voice can wake up the entire library. they’re lucky the librarian is downstairs, or else they’re going to get thrown out of there.

 

“can you use your inside voice?”

 

minho rolls his eyes, but still lowers his voice into a whisper. “can you not be my mom?”

 

woojin mumbles that it’s his friend, pulling the hoodie that has been thrown onto his head into his lap instead. minho has the audacity to look very offended. “i thought i’m your only friend!”

 

the elder smacks him on his stomach and minho winces, rubbing on the spot softly. “go away, minho. i got work to be done by today.”

 

“alright, alright. i just want to return your hoodie. i’d keep it, but it doesn't smell like you anymore. so you can give it back to me when it smells like you again.” minho winks and goes the extra mile to slide his tongue across his lips. woojin looks at him with disgust.

 

“stop flirting with me, you piece of shit. you have a boyfriend.”

 

“ahh, but is it flirting if we’re bros?”

 

“please go away.”

 

\--

 

chan wakes up after what he feels like a week. he feels oddly refreshed, considering he slept at a table in the library. warmth envelops his body, and it’s so comfortable that he doesn’t feel like waking up. his neck also doesn’t hurt that bad. maybe because there’s something soft that supports his head instead of just his arms. he turns his head to the other side to try and relieve the minimal pain in his neck, and is met with a thick, soft material in his face. he also realises that he’s drooling.

 

“shit!” chan snaps his head up, cussing silently at the stain left on the fabric. his head spins and he groans. why does things like this always happen to him?

 

“are you okay?”

 

chan ducks his head, discreetly wiping away the drools from his face before facing the man in front of him. woojin has a worried look in his face and a pen with a piece of paper in his hands. chan tries to smile but it comes out as a grimace.

 

“yeah, yeah. i’m okay. uhh, what time is it?” he unconsciously snuggles deeper into the jacket, pulling it tighter on his shoulders. woojin checks his phone and winces at the brightness that he has forgotten to dial down when he steps in the library.

 

“it’s five past four.”

 

“what?!” he receives angry glares from students in 4 meters radius as an answer to his sort-of question. it doesn’t help that he somehow knocks his leg on the chair when he stood up in shock, and that will definitely leave a bruise. woojin reaches for his hand, coaxing him to sit back down and relax.

 

“shh, shh, hey, it’s okay. calm down. do you have to go anywhere?”

 

“no, no, but- but uhh, what time was it when you came in?”

 

“a little past two. why?”

 

chan drops his head on the table, resisting the urge to groan out loud. “i’ve slept for two hours?”

 

woojin nods, and then hums out a reply as he realises chan is not looking at him. his brows crinkled. “is that not good?”

 

chan’s eyes are wide when he looks up at woojin in panic, aggresively shaking his head, his blond hair bouncing softly. “wha- no, no. it’s, good, i guess? i mean, i haven’t sleep in three days so that’s a, refreshing nap. i think.”

 

it’s woojin’s turn to be shocked. “three days? how are you still walking around, you should be in bed!”

 

chan shrugs. “it’s hard for me to fall asleep. but i took a long nap so i feel better now. don’t make that worried face please, you make me feel bad. i’m good, i promise,” chan smiles as woojin unconsciously pouts, clearly not agreeing with the younger.

 

“well, okay i guess. but try to get some sleep when you get home, okay?”

 

“okay, i’ll try.” a blush is creeping up chan’s neck and face and to the tip of his ears when woojin won’t turn his eyes away from his face, so he clears his throat and averts his eyes. he decides to focus on what he discovers is a hoodie that supports his head when he slept earlier.

 

“where does this come from? it’s warm and comfy,” chan comments, patting the place where he drools earlier to check if it has dried up. he then takes the hoodie, noticing it’s not one of his and besides, he doesn’t bring his hoodie because being sleep-deprived means losing the ability to properly think.

 

“oh, it’s mine,” woojin says, eyes turning into a soft crescent.

 

it is then that chan notices that woojin is somehow stripped down to only his white shirt, when he clearly has a black jacket on when he came in the library. chan remembers the jacket because woojin looks hot in it. and now without the piece of clothing, he looks extra hot with the slightly thin shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and chest.

 

“you have an extra hoodie in your bag? because i thought you were wearing a jacket earlier?”

 

woojin chuckles, gathering his notes and pens and places them into his bag. “my friend stopped by earlier to give me that hoodie back. and my jacket is around your shoulders.”

 

chan wants to run and hide in one of the creepy parts of library, hoping that a ghost can come and kill him because he doesn’t know how to handle excessive embarrassment he currently has to endure. and to think that he pulls the jacket tighter around him every second. no wonder it’s so warm and cuddly. it belongs to the man he is sure he’s crushing on very hard at the moment. he quickly sheds the jacket off his shoulder while apologizing profusely. woojin reaches across the table and stops him with firm hands on his shoulder.

 

“no, keep it. you seem to need it more than me.”

 

“but-”

 

“no buts. you’re just skin and bones. how do you even stay in here with just a shirt on?”

 

“hey, i got muscles!”

 

“proof or you don’t,” woojin points an accusing finger towards chan, and it knocks chan’s breath out of him.

 

“do you really want to see me naked,” he stutters, slightly trembling at the small smirk evident on woojin’s face.

 

“maybe later,” the elder smiles, standing up and swinging his bag over his shoulder, “i’m gonna leave. are you staying?”

 

“no, no, wait. i’m coming with you,” chan stumbles as he shoves everything into his bag, picking up the hoodie to cradle in his arms with woojin’s jacket still snuggly fitted on his shoulder. they walk in silence past all the students who still have their nose in the books, chan rushing to get out of the freezing library to bask under the sun from outside. he let out a content sigh as the sun shines on his skin, warmth seeping in and bringing some color back to his skin. woojin laughs gently.

 

“you’re kinda cute, hmm?” woojin says, grinning at the slightly younger boy who gets flustered after his comment. he looks at his watch, frowning slightly at the time.

 

“anyway, i have to go. my shift starts at 5 and i would like to lay on my bed until that time arrives.” woojin squints at chan, the sun is too bright for him to be able to open his eyes fully.

 

“oh, yeah sure. here you go.” chan hands him his jacket back, keeping the hoodie close to his chest. woojin raises his eyebrows at him, confused. chan suddenly feels very hot under the sun and under woojin’s gaze.

 

“uh, if you think i’m cute, you should let me keep this. alright, see you later,” chan turns on his heels and quite literally sprints down the hallway. woojin chuckles. at least he will definitely see the other man again.

 

\--

 

“i think you like him,” minho mumbles, eyes focusing on the game they’re playing at the moment. woojin almost swerves his car into a pole. he can hear jisung agreeing with minho’s words, humming and popping a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

 

“i don’t like him.”

 

“you hate him then?”

 

“i don’t like him like that, jisung.” woojin rolls his eyes, although he’s sure the youngest out of the three can’t see him anyways. jisung giggles. woojin wants to throw him out of their apartment. ever since he moves in with minho, woojin seems to suffer a little bit more.

 

when woojin is distracted, minho claims his victory as his car passes the finishing line and he jumps in joy, screaming about woojin’s promise to buy him fried chicken every saturday for 3 months if he wins.

 

“okay, minho, fine. i will keep my promise. but help me here. why is he always in my mind?” he throws the console away, grabbing a slice of pizza from the coffee table and staring at it instead of eating it. minho and jisung shares a look, resisting the urge to laugh if they don’t want to be thrown out. minho sighs.

 

“what is it about him that you think about?”

 

“i- i don’t really know. but i wonder if he’s sleeping alright. if he’s eating well. last time i saw him he was extremely sleep-deprived. and i doubt he’d eaten anything prior to meeting me.”

 

“how many times have you met this guy, hyung?” jisung moves to sit next to minho, resting his chin on the elder’s shoulder.

 

“just two times. if that one time he came in during my shift counts.” woojin no longer feels like eating, so he puts the pizza back into the box.

 

“alright, hyung. i personally think you know why you feel this way, but you don’t want to admit it yet, but-” jisung stops, putting a hand up when woojin opens his mouth to deny it, “it’s okay to feel that way. it’s fine, hyung. just take your time. get to know him, and get to know what you actually feel.”

 

woojin groans. he hates it when jisung is right. it does damage to his ego. “i don’t even know if he’s gay. oh my god what if he’s not gay, shit, i told him he’s kinda cute-”

 

a smack is delivered to his head, courtesy of minho. jisung threatens to send another pillow to his head if he doesn’t shut up.

 

“felix says that chan is very gay so don’t worry about that.”

 

“can we trust this felix guy?”

 

another pillow does make it to his head. woojin’s world seems to tip from his eyes. “that’s my best friend! of course we can trust him!”

 

a pillow fight ensues almost immediately. woojin thinks it’s not fair for the two younger boys to be attacking him when he’s buying them chicken every week now. he needs a partner too. when he acknowledges the feeling he has for chan, the two younger boys will regret smacking down on him with the pillows. he’ll seek revenge.

 

\--

 

chan doesn’t know how many shots of caffeine should he ask for that morning. he’s been staying up all night again to finish a track, and he questions his life choices once again when he decided earlier in the semester to get a friday morning class. he tries to reason with himself, it’s just one class and he has all day to rest and sleep before waking up on a saturday to try and finish all his assignments.

 

hyunjin is working the morning shift too as the barista, and he shoots chan a charming smile when he sees him.

 

“hey, hyung. what’s with the pout?” he’s already punching in the order for chan. the older always gets the same order, so hyunjin doesn’t bother asking after the first few times.

 

“hit me with the strongest caffeine shot you guys have. i can’t wait for this day to be over,” chan slides his card across the counter, ignoring hyunjin’s question completely. the younger chuckles. chan wonders how he gets so much energy this early in the morning.

 

“i got you, hyung,” he says as he turns around to work on chan’s order. the latter is left to stand to the side, too lazy to take out his phone so he lets his eyes wander around the cafe. mornings are quite slow here, that’s why chan prefer this place. he’d rather not rushing into the cafe nearer to campus only to queue behind 6 other people for just a cup of coffee. besides, chan likes the iced americano here better than the other.

 

“hey, hyunjin. i need one peppermint tea. and make it hot, please.” a voice pipes up beside chan, and he almost falls to his knees when he sees the owner of the voice. woojin turns around when he notices someone staring at him. he doesn’t think chan can look any worse than the other day, but apparently he’s wrong. his lips are red and swollen from when he bit on them too much, and it’s a deep contrast to his pale skin under the soft light of the cafe. he doesn’t realise he’s staring too until hyunjin clears his throat.

 

“woojin hyung?”

 

“yes, hyunjin?”

 

“quit staring at chan hyung and tell me what size do you want.”

 

woojin stammers, telling the younger he needs a venti, handing the exact amount of money towards him. hyunjin wiggles his eyebrows towards woojin, earning a slap on the arm from the elder. hyunjin yelps, whining about how woojin has gotten too strong for his own liking. chan smiles from the side.

 

“didn’t expect to see you here,” chan starts, standing up a little straighter now that woojin has his eyes on him.

 

“why? do you not want to? i can leave.” woojin’s smirk grows wider at the sight of chan panicking over the thought of woojin leaving.

 

“no, no! it’s nice seeing you again,” chan offers a gentle smile. woojin reciprocates it and crosses his arms over his chest.

 

“i see that you’re struggling to stand up. do you have trouble sleeping again?”

 

something strikes chan right in his chest. he can feel flowers blooming inside, and if he doesn’t stop thinking about it, he thinks he can choke from it. it’s just the third time he’s met woojin, and woojin remembers about his problem when he just talks about it as a passing comment. even changbin is not aware about his sleeping pattern, or the lack of it.

 

“uhh, yeah. kinda. i’m fine, though,” chan assures him, but woojin is not looking entirely convinced. he hums out an ‘okay’ and they falls into silence once again.

 

“do you drive here or something? because it’s quite far from the campus,” woojin asks when hyunjin hands them their drinks. the younger whispers something into chan’s ear, and the two fistbumps each other with chan thanking him. woojin stares suspiciously even when chan says it’s nothing for the elder to worry about.

 

“i took the subway. i don’t usually need caffeine this early. today is just one of the days that i struggle to even open my eyes. so i am willing to commute here because jinnie’s americano is that good,” he chuckles.

 

“don’t listen to him, woojin hyung! he’s here almost everyday!” hyunjin shouts from the counter, grinning mischievously when chan threatens to throw a book to him. the two college students walk side by side to the door and woojin holds the door open for chan.

 

“do you want to ride with me then? i mean, i drive here, so- yeah, uhh, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. i’m going to campus too, and it’s faster, i guess? i mean you don’t have to wait for the sub-”

 

“woojin, i’d love to.” chan’s soft voice stops woojin from his continuous rambling. the elder smiles as he leads the way. when they stop in front of a rather new black hyundai veloster, chan can’t help but let out a low whistle.

 

“yeah, you wouldn’t do that if you see my old car. i have no choice but to sell it for scrap. minho won’t stop complaining about it. that ungrateful brat,” woojin mumbles, unlocking the car and getting inside. chan gets in beside him, already putting his seatbelt on. woojin turns on the air-conditioning and putting it on the lowest setting after starting the engine, grabbing the blanket he keeps in the backseat of his car and throwing it onto chan’s lap. chan has a bewildered look on his face. woojin puts the car in gear, release the handbrake and starts driving.

 

“it’ll be at least a 20-minute journey with the morning traffic. try and get a nap.”

 

chan wonders why woojin’s stuff is always so warm despite being left in the car. it lulls him into a sleep almost immediately. he never falls asleep any easier than this.

 

\--

 

“did you get a good sleep last night?” woojin asks, hands shoved in his pocket as they stroll by the river. it’s been a week since he last saw chan. he just came out of his class when he saw chan stumbling out of his too so he naturally asked if the younger wants to walk home together. they’ve been walking in a comfortable silence until woojin pops the question. chan stops walking and faces the elder.

 

“really look at me,” he says in a deadpan voice. woojin sees prominent eyebags on a face that looks paler than usual.

 

“you don’t sleep?”

 

“glad to know you can still see,” chan staggers forward, woojin’s hands shoot up to catch his arms before he could fall. he promptly pulls the arm he’s holding over his shoulder, and snakes an arm around the younger’s waist. he can literally feels chan heating up in his arms despite the slightly cold weather.

 

“i can still walk you know.” chan pouts, trying to escape from woojin’s strong arms. woojin holds him a little tighter.

 

“would you rather i carry you instead?”

 

chan shoves every argument down his throat and keeps his thoughts to himself. woojin doesn’t have to know that chan would like to take up the offer if he’s not too panicked of the thought that his crush is very close to him right now.

 

“you have to start taking care of yourself more,” woojin breaks the silence in a soft voice. chan nods. he knows for a fact that he doesn’t take care of himself very well, but he’s just too busy with work. if he’s not busy with work, he’s busy trying to sleep and failing at that.

 

“i’m trying my best,” the younger mumbles. his head is spinning, and his vision is getting blurry. chan can sense where this is going, and he doesn’t like it. not when woojin is with him. his legs suddenly feels very heavy, and it’s hard for him to keep up the pretence that he’s good when he’s clearly not. so he lets his mind takes over his body, and he collapses.

 

\--

 

chan wakes up in a hospital bed; he recognizes the white walls around him and the smell of disinfectant they use there. there’s a gentle, humming sound from beside his bed, and he turns slowly to see woojin seated there in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, earphones in his ears while he’s scrolling through his phone. he doesn’t seem to notice that chan is awake, so the younger spends the time listening to woojin as he hums and sings to the songs he’s listening. it probably takes woojin three songs to realize that chan is up and staring at him, so he rips the earphones out and rushes to chan’s side.

 

“oh my god, are you okay? how are you feeling?” woojin drops his voice in a low whisper, taking chan’s cold hand in his and gently squeezing it.

 

“i’m fine. don’t worry.”

 

“you fainted! how am i not worried!”

 

“i’ll be fine, woojin. it’s just how my body copes with the fatigue. i should be discharged by tonight,” chan says, pushing himself up to sit on the bed. woojin frowns.

 

“no, you’re not getting discharged by tonight. you’re just gonna go home and stay up all night again. i won’t let you,” he puts on his stern voice, the one he uses when he really needs jisung to help minho cleans up their living room. jisung can’t say no, and in this case, chan can’t say no too.

 

“i’m sure they won’t keep me in here all night,” chan sniggers, hand coming up to ease the wrinkle on the elder’s forehead, “stop scrunching up your eyebrows. you’re gonna age faster like this.”

 

woojin sighs. “i’m just worried about you.”

 

“you don’t have to.”

 

they sit in silence, with woojin wondering what he can do to help, and chan thinking about what he’s going to tell changbin once he gets home. chan sneaks a glance towards the man sitting by his bed. woojin is thumbing comforting circles inside chan’s palm, and he can feel himself slowly drifting away into a sleep. it’s the way woojin acts around him. the way woojin looks at him. the way woojin’s soft voice coax him into a sleep. the way woojin’s large hands fits just perfectly into his. the way woojin’s warmth seep into his skin when the slightly taller man puts his arm around him.

 

he snaps out of his trance when woojin gasps lowly. “what’s wrong?”

 

“maybe, if you want to, i’m totally not forcing you into this so feel free to say no, but if you will-”

 

chan wants to laugh out loud. nervousness doesn’t suit woojin that well. “what is it, woojin?”

 

“you can come and crash at my place for the night?”

 

it is not what chan had expected, but he’s not hating it. in fact, it makes him a little happy and bubbly inside. he’s probably taking too long to answer woojin’s question so the elder quickly tries to do damage control, although chan is sure no damage is ever done.

 

“it’s not what you think! i just, i want to make sure you get some rest and if you go home, you’ll probably end up not sleeping again and i’m making sure that doesn’t happen but i’m really not forcing you into this so if you’re not comfortable with it you can just say no-”

 

woojin’s rambling is cut short when a pair of lips is planted on his. soft,full lips that he has dreamt of kissing before, and now it’s here. a hand grabs on the back of his head, and after overcoming the first wave of shock that flows through his body, he kisses back. it’s not like what he had imagined before, but it’s definitely perfect. he can feel chan melting in his arms, the way he pulled him closer and tighter. a tongue glides across his lips and woojin’s eyes widen, coming to his senses and breaks the contact.

 

“whoa, okay wait,” woojin pants, sighing into the close proximity between their faces. chan pulls away, panic evident in his eyes.

 

“oh my god, oh god, i’m so stupid, i’m so sorry woojin, please forget everything that has ever happen-”

 

“hey, hey, no, it’s okay. don’t be sorry. it’s fine. no, it’s just, we’re in a hospital right now. it’s really not romantic and everything so let’s just go home and talk about, whatever this is, okay?” chan nods, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart. woojin excuses himself, telling chan he’s going to get him discharged and also getting the car so chan can just come out when he’s ready to go home.

 

the ride home is rather quiet, save for the radio that’s been put on a low volume. chan is slightly trembling in his seat. he’s terrified of what’s going to happen. is woojin going to tell him that he’s disgusting? that he only thinks of chan as a friend? maybe chan has overstep the boundary? woojin is just a nice man who wants to help him and he’s taking advantage of the poor guy. chan panics internally as woojin pulls up in the parking spot for his apartment. the elder man puts the car in park but doesn’t make any move to turn off the engine. chan thinks he’s going to pass out again.

 

“i can’t do this in the house because minho and jisung are home and they’re going to eavesdrops on us and i will never hear the end of it so i’m telling you this now,” woojin inhales, turning slightly to face chan who’s frozen in his seat, “i like you. i don’t know how or when but i like you. i like you more than i like my peppermint tea in the morning because everyone knows that’s my absolute favorite. when you passed out in my arms, my first thought was that i never want that to happen to you again. i want to take care of you. i want to give you all the good things in the world because for the past few times we met each other, i know you deserve it. you’re a great man, chan, and i would really love to be beside you and supporting you through everything.”

 

chan surges forward as soon as woojin finishes, catching his lips in a soft kiss. “i don’t know if you can’t tell by the way i’ve been kissing you for two times now but i really like you too. not just because you’ve been helping me all this while, but because you’re a great man too. i want to know about you, all of you. when i’m with you, i feel like, i’m more at ease. i’m much more comfortable around you. i never knew how tense i was until the day i saw you. it seems like all the pent-up stress and anger just flew away. you make me feel relaxed and calm and,” chan breathes shakily, “you make me feel like i’m home. to you.”

 

“i’m glad you feel that way because i feel the same.”

 

“so, are you gonna be my boyfriend?” woojin pecks him once on the nose, grinning when chan giggles.

 

“yes, i am.”

 

\--

 

“sing something for me,” chan trails along woojin’s chest, eyes drooping by the second.

 

“i can’t sing.”

 

chan pinches the elder’s side, looking up at him when he yelps. “liar, i heard you singing when i was in the hospital.”

 

“you remember that? that’s nearly two months ago. i thought you were still asleep at that time,” woojin rubs on the spot chan attacked earlier sulkily.

 

“sing for me,” chan juts out his lower lip and woojin sighs. why do he even bother playing hard to get with chan? he always gets everything.

 

“why? it’s not like you’re having trouble sleeping anymore.” woojin keeps his arm secured around chan’s shoulder. the younger shrugs.

 

“you have a nice voice.”

 

“you think so?”

 

“i know so. your voice is like the color of the sky during sunset,” chan pushes up on his elbow to look at woojin properly, smiling earnestly, “it’s beautiful.”

 

“you know what’s beautiful?” woojin smirks and chan rolls his eyes at him.

 

“me?”

 

woojin’s smirk morphs into a sly grin. “no, me. let’s go to sleep.”

 

“why are you like this?”

 

\--

**Author's Note:**

> title is from sam kim it's you ^^ i really like hyunjin's song recommendations from that vlive with chan 
> 
> anyways, just another woochan fic bcs its me. i dont have any other reasons lolol im probably breathing woochan at this point. on a side note, i never ship banginho before, but i saw a video of them and now im whipped?? for them?? they seem like real parents to me idk kids maybe i'll write one of them if im willing to betray woojin lmao
> 
> i hope you enjoy this! this is probably shitty as always but it's my longest fic so far so i'm kinda proud-ish of myself. thank you for reading! ^^
> 
> i hope you guys have a good day :))


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